


White Noise

by Gespenst



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Android!Koz, ComputerWhiz!Jack, M/M, somewhat dystopian sci-fi au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-20
Updated: 2014-06-20
Packaged: 2018-02-05 11:22:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1816768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gespenst/pseuds/Gespenst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What do you do when you're caught hacking one mainframe too far into the servers of a hostile faction and are coerced into aiding their cause? Agree to build a lethal android to infiltrate the opposing forces, naturally. Only thing is, the AI that Jack had written to give himself some company- while still capable of deadly stealth- turns out to be surprisingly more human than anyone had anticipated and Jack had hoped. <br/>Either way, none of this is what he ever signed up for. Jack really ought to stop pulling the short straw.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>[Will update tags if/when neccessary.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Noise

**Author's Note:**

> (Also known as the prologue.)  
> Hello! Forewarning that I have no idea what I'm doing and also events may not appear in chronological order because I'm one of /those/ people. I will try and make sure it makes sense, fear not!

Asphalt, warped and cracking under the beating sun, amplifies the intermittent _sssscrape sssscrape sssscrape_ along its otherwise deserted path through bland scrubland, and Kozmotis might find his bloody single mindedness to keep going funny if the current situation didn’t drain all capacity for the thought from him. Jack had given him the ability to run a mind-boggling amount of processes at once and here he is; only able to continue functioning by focusing solely on one.

To be fair, lesser creations would not even made it a fraction of this distance. Kozmotis knows this. Knows this and that he must keep going, despite the damage his body has taken, dragging the exposed metal of his mangled right foot along the road with every step.

There’s only residual feeling in the shredded mass of artificial tissue and metal, splintering carbon fibre and fraying wires and tubes. Out of all the explosions they’d managed to avoid, of course he would be hit by the one he saw coming and could easily have avoided. It’s mostly his pride that stings at that, but the throb that spreads up his calf to his knee is trying very hard to distract him and fritter away his resolve. Collapsing in a heap of metal and dust - Oh, that would be nice to do right now. North would not be pleased at all with what Kozmotis had done to his handiwork.

_sssscrape_

**Warning: Lower right leg structure comprised to 36 percent and decreasing. Increased risk of contamination of nanofluids due to exposure. Please seek a Terminal or locate a worksta--**

He blinks away the emergency system’s HUD, abruptly cutting off the dull red flashes alerting him to what he already knows is wrong. Kozmotis can sense it all already through his veins, thrumming all wrong and irregular.

 

_sssscrape_

The silence is otherwise deafening. If Jack were awake he would probably laugh and say Kozmotis is disturbing the peace with this horrible grating sound. But Jack is not awake. His breath is barely weak, little puffs against his neck.

_sssscrape_

 

**warning: heat and dust levels hazardous. system will engage a shutdown if precautions aren’t taken. please be careful.**

Her voice disrupts his musing on the moisture slowly accumulating in the curve of his neck, the more natural, muted tones that her interface start with are far less harsh on his vision as diagrams pull up and point out his current vulnerabilities. But these Kozmotis blinks away too, though Seraphina is more persistent and harder to dismiss than the automatic notifications. Especially when she keeps making her words brighter and bolder to make him take note. Right now, though, Kozmotis doesn’t have the energy to listen to her; he needs everything he’s got to force himself to keep moving.

However he murmurs a quiet ‘Yes, love. I hear you.’ when she starts verbally telling him off, and that seems to get her to quieten down.

****  


_sssscrape_

****  


He thinks he can see a wavering outline in the distance and it’s enough to give him hope that he’ll make it, that Jack will make it. Enough to make him ignore the vital fluids that mark out his trail behind them, and the screams of the pain receptors begging for rest - if only he could disable the feeling.

 

He’s going to make it. They’re so close now.

****  


_sssscrape_

**warning: vitals approaching critical levels. second and fifth filters blocked and third filter 58 percent damaged. nanofluid reservoir depleting at unsustainable rate. all systems at risk.**

Or at the very least Kozmotis will last long enough that Jack will make it. That’s all that matters ultimately.

He wants to stop and catch his breath, chest heaving from the exertion and difficulty of breathing in. Jack makes a small sound, a faint whimper, as Kozmotis shifts his hold again and buries his face further against Kozmotis’ shoulder. It offers no comfort for Jack’s feverish skin, his own incredibly warm and barely offering protection from the hotter machinery beneath.

_sssscrape_

****  


As long as he can reach a Terminal in the town ahead, Jack will be safe. He’ll be taken care of.

****  


_sssscrape_

**warning: all auxiliary and non-essential funCtionality reDuced. micro-hYDrauliCs FAiLure immineNt. plEase MovE to A saFe lOCatiOn.**

As long as Jack is safe, then he can fix Kozmotis. No-one else knows how so it’s imperative that he doesn’t fail.

The town is closer now; run down but solid and there, even if it seems just as eerily quiet as the scrubland behind him, Kozmotis isn’t foolish enough to deem it deserted. Thermal sensors would probably pick up the people here even if his eyes can’t, but he’d disabled them quite a way back to save his energy, and now all his other scanning equipment is offline too. Kozmotis blinks rapidly for several seconds when the colour saps from his vision, everything left in a high contrast black and white with growing static and picture distortion in an effort to conserve his remaining energy. His right leg has locked up completely now, and he curses himself for thinking it might help him gain a little last minute stability.

 

_ssssssscrape_

 

He is relieved when he spots the sign for a Terminal, sighs as he drags them out of the blazing heat into the dilapidated building, and places Jack down on the bench beside the machine with a deceptive gentleness that he wasn’t supposed to be able to have when he was created in the first place, let alone with his fingers starting to lock up and upper body becoming stiff.

Only once Jack is lying as comfortably as Kozmotis can make him does he finally allow himself to stop and slide to the floor, knees losing their hydraulic pressure having nothing to do with how heavily he collapses. He lifts a stiff hand to brush the hair from Jack’s forehead, sticky with sweat and blood, wheezing more pronounced as he leans forward until his head rests on Jack’s side, unable to even breath his name.

 

**warning: shutDOnw iMminennnnn t da**

**d ad dd**

**d dy**

**daddy**

**im scared**

 

It’s okay. Jack will fix him.

Don’t be afraid.

****  


**System entering emergency standby.**


End file.
